Security systems are often installed within and around a premises such as commercial, residential, or governmental buildings. Examples of these buildings include offices, hospitals, multi dwelling units, warehouses, schools or universities, shopping malls, government offices, and casinos. The security systems typically include components such as security panels, motion sensors, access control systems, surveillance cameras, image analytics systems, and/or network video recorders (NVRs), to list a few examples.
Traditional access control systems in buildings are principally concerned with physical security and the selective access to, restriction of, and/or notification of access to a place or other resource. The main components of many access control systems are access readers and possibly door and elevator controllers. The access card readers are often installed to enable presentation of credentials to obtain access to restricted areas, such as buildings or areas of the buildings. The readers are installed near access points, such as interior and exterior doors, hallways, and/or elevators.
Typically, individuals interact with the access card readers of the access control systems by presenting an access badge at the reader. The access badge includes credentials (e.g. username and password) associated with a particular user and typically takes the form of a keycard or contactless smart card. For a keycard access badge, the user presents the keycard at the reader by “swiping” a magnetic strip of the keycard against the reader, while the smart card access badge is presented within range (approximately 2-3 inches or 5 centimeters) of the reader. The access card readers read the credential information of the access badge and validate the information possibly by reference to an ID management system that confirms the credentials and determines whether the individuals are authorized to access the restricted areas. If the individuals are authorized, then the access card readers might signal a door controller to unlock doors or not generate alarms, for example.
The access badges also have historically included a picture of the authorized user. The picture is often printed directly upon a face of the access badge and the user typically wears the access badge on their person with the picture displayed, such as attached to clothing of the user. This allows security personnel and other employees to have a cursory visual confirmation that the individual carrying the badge is, in fact, the person to whom the access badge was issued.
More recently, frictionless access control systems have been proposed. These security systems typically rely on individuals carrying wireless user devices. The wireless user devices might be dedicated fob devices and/or personal mobile computing devices such as tablet or smart phone computing devices. The wireless user devices communicate with access readers installed at access points. As the user with the wireless user device approaches the access points, user credentials are transmitted to the access card readers that validate the credentials and determine whether the user is authorized to pass through the access point. The access point, such as a door, can then be unlocked, for example.